Andor – Week Three Review

Well, for my money, those were the finest three hours of Star Wars in the history of the series. From watching the destruction of Ghorman to the rise of Mon Mothma as the leader of the Rebellion to the collapse of two central relationships within the series, so much of what occurred in this three-episode span sets the stage not only for what is to come in Rogue One but also for everything in the remaining six films. These moments created the Rebellion as we know it in A New Hope. This is how Cassian becomes the leader the Rebellion needs him to be. How Mon Mothma manages to inspire rebels throughout the galaxy*. And how those not under the sway of the Emperor realize that there are others like them out there, doing everything in their power to keep fighting.

*If you’re looking to see just how Mon made it to Yavin, I will direct your attention to season three, episode eighteen of Rebels, which shows not only just how she was smuggled off of Coruscant – fans of Ashoka will recognize a bunch of characters who helped ferry her away – but you’ll also get to hear her speech to the galaxy, a key moment in expanding the reach of the Rebellion in a major way.

I suspect a lot of viewers noticed far too many similarities in our current political climate and that within the Imperial Senate. Mon’s speech hit incredibly close to home – and my god, would I be thrilled to hear one of our US senators start making claims like that (although I suspect any discussion of the massive gulf between the truth and fabrications orchestrated by the government would fall on many deaf ears – much like Eedy continued to eat up the propaganda surrounding Ghorman in the closing moments of episode eight). But really, a speech like that, calling out the ability of a government to twist the truth once it has controlled the press, controlled enough politicians to keep them in line and towing the party line, and created enough fear that if one speaks out it will be their people, their family, their friends in the line of fire, could speak to a host of places and times in our real history. And, much like Mon, it only takes a spark to start the fire of a Rebellion – and that was a hell of a spark. Yes, Luthen, Saw, and others have been toiling in the shadows (and not quite the shadows) for years at this point, but it’s only when those with power take a stand against power that a wide swath of people start to realize they might not be alone. That there are others with clout who can do something and help – that there’s hope. And Mon, for all her reluctance and fear to step into the light (Genevieve O’Reilly was once again spectacular, this time in the sequence her entire series arc has been leading to) is the face the Rebellion needs, and the leader who will marshal them to victory in the future.

But no rebellion succeeds without casualties. And we had so many this episode. I suspect many knew that 2 BBY was the year of the Ghorman Massacre and it was as devastating as advertised in Rebels. The set-up, the realization that it was a trap (never before have I been more heartbroken to hear that infamous Star Wars phrase uttered, mostly because I knew that this time, no one was going to escape unscathed), the sniper who started the entire fight by offering friendly fire to get the untrained guards riled up enough to start their own killing. It was the perfect Imperial plan. One so impressive that I was shocked Syril figured the whole thing out and was able to find a conscience just at the last moment. Now, I know Syril is a yes-man who doesn’t want to ever look beyond what he’s been told (and who seemed to trust Dedra a shocking amount), but I have a hard time believing that he never once suspected that there was more going on than what he was being told. Perhaps his pride got in the way. Or his love for Dedra let him put on some rose-colored glasses that allowed him to see his infiltration of the rebel sect as nothing more than recognizance to see if outsiders were infiltrating Ghorman. But, much like Mon in that conversation with Luthen back in week one, how nice for him that he can manage to have complete cognitive dissonance when it comes to just what the Empire was doing on Ghorman pretty blatantly. To believe the propaganda whole-heartedly? To trust in the Empire that deeply? That takes a special kind of man.

And then to reach the “find out” phase after all that fucking around and discover that you’re actually the bad guy? Oof. Not a fun moment, Syril. I’ll give him credit for walking away from Dedra, albeit several years too late and after doing far too much to aid in the destruction of Ghorman. But, golf clap, sir. It was a nice touch that he still couldn’t let Cassian shoot his girlfriend – so, he was conflicted enough to wander aimlessly through the plaza (how he wasn’t shot then, I don’t know, but lucky guy), but still can’t condone the assassination of the woman who helped set these events in motion with his unwitting help. I have to say, I wasn’t all that sad when he got the blaster shot to the head. Good bye and good riddance. But a massive kudos to Kyle Soller, who sold just how broken and lost Syril was in those final moments, as he realized his entire life was a lie.

Then there’s Dedra. Who also appeared to be having a crisis of faith, albeit one stemming from the fact that her actions led to her losing everything in her life that she truly cared about – Syril. While he might have enjoyed those promotions that came with his role in things, she certainly enjoyed the control and power she received not only out of her relationship with Syril, but by having this knowledge and keeping it from him for so long. She was “only following orders” but, much like her late beau, she didn’t quite see that Syril genuinely cared for and trusted her. In her mind, their relationship was less about communication and trust and more about what they can get for each other. How they can succeed. She thought he would be so proud of her and the work he did for her. That the revelation that they could go home once Ghorman was destroyed was more than enough for both of them. It never crossed her mind that he wouldn’t understand how following orders wasn’t enough; that nothing she could tell him would be enough. I have a hard time believing that her breakdown was anything other than a response to Syril’s rejection of her, but Denise Gough was so good in that moment that I started to have some doubts. Perhaps Dedra might be souring on the Empire’s actions? I certainly hope she doesn’t turn traitor because that would be a bit too nice at the last moments of the series. But I can get behind her looking back on her work here as a mistake. As a moment when she let her job cost her too much. And that will make whatever happens to her in the final three hours of the series next week all the more intriguing to see.

And then there’s Cassian. We’ve known all along that something has to happen with Bix in the years before Rogue One so that he would be willing to risk everything in that film. And here we have it. She’s not dead (at least not yet – and I don’t think she will die next week), but she’s gone. Leaving him with a “Dear John” message and a promise to reunite once the war is over. We know that he would do everything in his power to end the war, to get back to her, to see her one more time. And we also know that won’t happen. That he will die before the war ends, having delivered the Death Star plans to the rebels, saving countless lives and shortening the war significantly. He may be saving Bix’s life in the process. But there’s no happy ending for them. Cassian is now fully a part of the Rebellion. He made his choice – and Bix made hers – and the die is cast. What stellar work from both Diego Luna and Adria Arjuna.

We’re on the cusp of Rogue One. Our key players are where they will be at the start of that film – and, in the case of Mon, where she’ll be throughout the war. Heck, K2 has joined as well. There are only a couple of characters left whose fates we don’t yet know – Luthen, Kleya, Wilmon, and Vel don’t appear in the future projects, although I have a suspicion Vel and Wilmon might make it out alive (which would be lovely to see). As for Luthen and Kleya? Well, I am eager to learn how they factor into the final three episodes – and if they manage to make it into the Rebellion (Luthen more or less told us he’s not getting out alive this week, so I suspect more tragedy awaits us). But what a triptych of episodes.  A stunning exploration of the reach of propaganda, the power of the press, the loss of truth and the rise of fascism. A lesson in how unchecked power can run amok, destroying all it touches, when good people turn away and do nothing – out of their own desire for power, out of fear, or out of apathy. When we let one voice become the only voice, we lose our own. But hope can still live, it can survive, so long as those who clamor for change, who call out wrong when they see it, who stand up to bullies and demand to be heard still exist in the world. As long as there is a spark, hope can still live.